Tropical Forests and the Allocation of Carbon to Reproduction (MS ’20)
Rachel is interested in the social, ecological, and geophysical dynamics of agro-forestry coffee and cacao systems in the tropics. Her aim is to couple participatory research of agro-forestry management choices with mathematical modeling and statistical analysis to understand how changes in management influence ecosystem function and regional climate. Prior to joining ERG, Rachel lived and worked in Chile, Argentina, and Honduras with agro-ecological farming projects. She earned her MA in Latin American Studies from UC Berkeley, where she studied coffee farmers’ adaptations the coffee leaf rust crisis. As an MS/PhD ERG student, she plans to explore the potential of agroforestry systems to conserve biodiversity, connect fragmented habitat, and support a wide range of ecosystem services that may also mitigate regional climate change.
Research:
Kueppers Lab Group
Contact:
r.ward@berkeley.edu